Chapter 2: Ray Dawn

Ray Dawn and Grieselda rounded a corner, arrived at the entrance to the hidden chamber.

He remained cautious and controlled Lancer in first. The droid took the lead and went through the door. He gestured at Grieselda to follow. She didn’t argue this time, followed behind Lancer and let him trail last.

Ray Dawn wasn’t one for the front lines. Bloody work that, duking it out at close range, especially with another cybermage. Damn dangerous even with his mech suit for added protection. Fortunately he had Guardian and Lancer to occupy the front lines. Well, just Lancer this time. He eyed Grieselda’s back.

‘She can take Guardian’s place since she’s so fucking eager for a fight.’

He took a long breath and sighed wearily.

There’d be no need for such an inconvenience if they’d just give him more droids in the first place.

He’d repeatedly told Rafinya two droids was two too few but they wouldn’t authorize him anymore despite his ability to control over a dozen droids without mind wiping.

They crossed a short passage which blossomed into a humongous warehouse like space. The expansive chamber was systematically split into numerous rows of floor to ceiling racks stacked with what looked like droids. They were modelled in all shapes and sizes. Some heavy and bulk, some lean and edged, some weren’t even humanoid with octopus like tentacles. Lined onto racks that stretched into an endless darkness.

‘Amazing.’

Ray Dawn exhaled, his shoulders sagged and a hint of joy took root in his lazy eye.

The place was a cybermage’s wet dream.

‘The open minded ones anyway.’

Grieselda gestured a trembling hand at the collection, a horrified expression streaking her face. “Are they what I think they are?”

“Hmm. Intelligent robots, androids. Relics from the old empire.”

The androids where all stamped on the chest with the red sun flag of the old empire.

‘Real androids. Not these empty shells the federation gives us.’

“This isn’t right,” Grieselda hissed. “All these things here, does the federation not learn its lesson?”

“Don’t be so alarmed. The Mutiny Strain destroyed all traces of their AI programming.”

Grieselda glanced over her shoulder, brows knitted tight. “Even so, why would they store such things?”

‘Inquisitive, she might yet have a future in my unit.’ Ray Dawn sighed, real quiet. ‘If only she could be more open minded and more importantly just blindly follow orders. Is that too much to ask? No, she has to challenge my calls. Since when have mages grown so openly insubordinate?’

He shook his head inwardly.

‘At least pretend to obedient like I do.’

Ray Dawn strolled down the row, skewed eyes admiring the empire machines from beneath his tinted visor. “They say technology reached astronomical heights under the Machine Tyrant. They say with the fall of the old empire, a great many technologies were lost and the world regressed. They say the Machine Tyrant was greedy with its secrets so all its creations were encrypted and could not be reverse engineered.” He gestured at the shelved machines. “Clearly the federation hasn’t given up their attempts at obtaining these secrets.”

Grieselda frowned.

‘She does not like the sound of that.’

“Or,” Ray Dawn said theatrically. “They just keep them as trophies.”

Her frown deepened and his wit went unappreciated.

“Lies my friends.” A voice travelled out from the darkness of endless rows. The pitter-patter of unhurried footsteps followed, reverberating throughout the cavernous space. The smoky smell of tobacco permeated the air.

‘Smoker.’

The agent came into view, photon blade in one hand, shimmering white in the darkness. In his other hand, an oval glass shield. Ready for battle at their convenience. Not that he had much choice. They had the one and only exit covered.

Stuck in the corner of his mouth was a Pharma cigar. The agent pursed his lips and without taking the cigar out his mouth, exhaled smoke from the vacant corner of lips.

“The Oracle was neither greedy nor tyrannical,” Smoker mumbled, cigar still in his mouth. “It only wished to protect us from ourselves because of the reoccurring theme in human history of abusing power.”

Ray Dawn didn’t hesitate and took a few steps back. Bloody work that, fighting head to head. Work unsuited to a cautious man. He retreated to a safer distance— No, rather he repositioned himself to the optimal range for a cybermage who employed a ranged combat style.

A gun holster slid out the thigh of his mechanical armour and he pulled out a shard gun. It wasn’t effective against the impact resistant glass shield but if he dropped his guard, he could put a bullet into his head.

He switched on the spectral assist. His visor view changed, a target appeared on Grieselda and Smoker tracking their every movement and possible trajectory of those movements.

Grieselda hadn’t moved though. She held her ground like some noble Zulu warrior.

She drew a blade hilt, flicked its switch and watched it sizzle on. She raised and clenched her free hand. Translucent energy gushed out from the armoured fist, flowed into oval shape, stacked compactly and her glass shield was formed.

Ray Dawn considered his new subordinate’s with an appraising stare.

She stood vigilant which was to be expected but her stance was much too fluid, void of any tension brought upon by anxiety. She seemed ready to pounce at a moment’s notice and carried the air of a battle hardened warrior.

Her resume had her at 22, an elite academy prospect, fresh off an apprenticeship in Cape City before being drafted into his unit. Ray Dawn narrowed his eyes.

‘She’s no damn rookie.’

She’d seen real combat and plenty of it.

The agent glanced at them mumbled out the corner of his mouth. “Come at me fellow mages.”

“You’re a fucking hacker!” Grieselda corrected.

Only the federation and their backers the League of Five were legally allowed to make cybermages. Those who obtained and implanted mage chips through illegal means were all hackers and were hunted with the greatest prejudice.

“Surrender, you’re outnumbered,” Ray Dawn said thoughtfully.

A poor attempt at easing the thick tension in the air but he’d say anything to prevent a battle.

Best not to fight if it could be avoided, his Ma had always said.

Admittedly not the greatest advice being a cybermage: ruthless enforcer of federation law.

Then again, his Ma had probably never imagined him on the good side of the law.

Smoker’s gaze momentarily fell on Grieselda before shifting to him and much to his displeasure lingered longer than what he thought necessary.

“No,” Smoker said. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

Despite the cigar in his mouth, the agent spoke clearly enough.

‘How does he do that?’

Grieselda leapt forward. Head tucked low and shield held firm before her.

Ray Dawn glowered at her back.

They had the numbers advantage, was it not more logical to launch a methodical and coordinated effort. Let the droid take more of the risk. There was no need for her to charge like she was in single combat duel.

He might’ve said something if he was the type to care for others. Instead Ray Dawn sighed real quiet and watched on.

Smoker charged shield first as well.

They raced straight toward each other like two zoo bulls on an inevitable collision course.

Their energy shields smacked into each other, sparks flew as they locked shields and both held their ground, neither with a clear advantage in strength.

Grieselda was quicker though. She jabbed her photon blade over Smoker’s shield, the blade aimed at his face.

Despite being slower the agent had a greater reach so his stab was just as timely, descending toward her head.

Grieselda strained her neck sideways at the last moment and the agent’s blade bit into her shoulder. Her own blade embedded just as deep in the agent’s shoulder.

Blood bubbled, popped and sprayed around the scorching blades.

Ray Dawn winced but Grieselda wore a blank expression and the agent was just as unbothered. They’d both muted their pain receptors.

‘And the traumalash will be a bitch later.’

Grieselda offed her photon blade, and like that it was dislodged. She rotated her wrist so the blade hilt was aimed at the agent’s neck.

Smoker had offed his own blade and fumbled back in a panic as Grieselda’s blade sizzled on where his neck used to be.

‘She’s quick, I’ll give her that.’

She pressed her advantage, charged shield first and knocked back the retreating agent.

Smoker dropped his photon blade but managed to stay on his feet somehow but was staggering backwards, off balance.

Grieselda pounced. “It’s over,” she roared, lunged into a heavy thrust, shimmering blade whizzing toward the agent’s temple.

The off balance Smoker used his momentum to lean back, strained to the point of falling. The photon blade only scraped his chin as he ducked. Smoker kicked out as he fell. Cracking his foot into Grieselda’s shin and she plunged straight into his embrace.

Smoker grabbed her hips, spun viciously and body slammed her into the concrete floor.

Blood oozed from the back of Grieselda’s head but she remained conscious and oblivious to any pain.

Smoker lay over her and pressed a palm against her blade wielding wrist and a foot against her shield arm. The agent’s nicked chin dripped blood onto her hazel eyes and thin eyebrows. Smoker whipped free a sick-stick from his belt. The baton like device buzzed on, hummed ominously and eagerly waited to be discharged.

Their gazes locked and he motioned the sick-stick to her face.

“Fuck.” She cursed under her breath upon realizing the impending doom but she could not move. His whole weight was on her.

But doom never came instead Smoker weaved his head in a panic. A shimmering white blade missed his head stopping before the tip of Grieselda’s nose. Smoker attempted to roll away but received a metal boot for his efforts as Lancer with a photon blade in hand kicked out.

The punt sent the agent tumbling and crashing into a rack. The shelf shook and brought down a pair of antique androids crashing into the agent. Smoker swatted away the lifeless androids and rose to one knee. Miraculously, the cigar was still in his mouth.

The agent eyed Lancer warily as the droid ambled toward him. He glared at Grieselda, who got to her feet and split to flank him. Smoker swung his head both ways, shuddered uncontrollably. Ray Dawn was nowhere to be found but a smart enough man would know he was around.

“Shameless!” Smoker spat. “Despite your advantage you rely on such tricks.”

But his words fell on deaf ears. Lancer continued to face him, Grieselda continued to flank him and Ray Dawn continued to stalk him.